First Approved—Then Entrusted

First Approved—Then Entrusted

“But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.” 1 Thess. 2:4.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry . . . .” 1 Tim. 1:12.

“But let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.” 1 Tim. 3:10.

From these verses we can see that God first proves someone thoroughly before he is entrusted with something. The thing that counts most of all is that we do not want to please man—which means that we do not seek or receive honor from man, but that we only seek to please God and seek His honor. John 5:44. “For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Gal. 1:10. “For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.” Phil. 2:21.

Seeking to please man is the same as seeking the honor of man, which is the same as seeking your own and not the things which are of Christ Jesus. You cannot do both. Everything with which God entrusts us is of great value. Therefore He tests our hearts thoroughly before He entrusts us with anything; and the greatest thing with which He can entrust us is the gospel by which we make people into disciples. To be a disciple means that one enters through the strait gate. Most people do not have the attitude of mind to be a disciple. We read in John 8:30 and further what happened to Jesus when He wanted to make those people into disciples who had come to believe in Him.

At the strait gate is where you find the ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing who lead those who have come to faith through the wide gate. Matt. 7:13-15. The majority of those who seek God seek Him to be helped out of their earthly needs. It has been our experience that people come together by the thousands to experience and see signs and wonders when so-called “healing preachers” speak. They do not love the truth and do not seek after a godly life. Therefore they will also be deceived by Satan to receive Antichrist. God also sends them strong delusions so that those who do not love the truth will be deceived. They do not love God, but only His blessings. God proves man whether he is upright. 2 Thess. 2:7-14.

Israel had received the sign that if the word spoken by the prophet did not come to pass, the prophet did not speak the Word of the Lord. Deut. 18:20-22. But God tested Israel with false prophets; and He let the sign he gave come to pass. Deut. 13:1-5. He wanted to see if they loved the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul.

“For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:15. It is quite noticeable when preachers speak about signs and wonders that they want to make these things great in the eyes of man, and that the congregation is conformed to this world. They do not have the ministry Paul was entrusted with, the ministry about which we read in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 and 4:1-2. We can see that the apostles write almost exclusively about spiritual growth and a godly life. God does not entrust such a ministry to just anyone except those who have been thoroughly tested. There have always been only a few of such workers. Matt. 9:37-38.

Abraham was called God’s friend, and God tested him on whether he really loved God above everything—including his own son. We can see the great glory he was entrusted with after he had thus proved—in the trial—that he loved God. Gen. 22:10-18.

Every young person ought to take this to heart so that when trials come they can prove that they are true in their heart of hearts, and that they love God above everything else. Then their lives will not be spent in vain, but God will entrust them with tasks that are great in God’s eyes, and which will be to salvation for all those who love the truth.